By Canadians, for Canadians. Spend your money wisely.
Name: Hamm-tone Guitars
Products: Guitars, Mandolins, Banjos, and Guitar School
Manufactured In: Winnipeg, Manitoba
Where to Buy: Winnipeg, Manitoba
Website: jeremyhamm.ca
Canadian Owned: Yes
Jeremy Hamm makes guitars, mandolins and banjos with a lifetime warranty (his life) which he currently estimates should amount to 50 more years or so.
Hamm also runs a luthier school, where you can learn to make guitars yourself.
Name: Halcyon Guitars
Products: Acoustic guitars
Manufactured In: Vancouver, BC
Where to Buy: Company website
Website: halcyonguitars.com
Canadian Owned: Yes
Ed Bond founded Halcyon in 2012 in an effort to bring hand-built craftsmanship to a wider market. Base price starts at $1,599.
Name: Tinker Guitars
Products: Fine handmade acoustic guitars
Manufactured In: Vancouver, BC
Where to buy: tinkerguitars.com
Website: tinkerguitars.com
Canadian Owned: Yes
Acoustic handmade guitars from Vancouver.
Name: Ukustic
Products: Ukulele Strings
Manufactured In: Toronto, Ontario
Where to buy: Website and Amazon
Website: https://ukustic.com/
Canadian Owned: Yes
Looking for Uke strings? Try ukustic.com.
Name: Gayford Carbon Fiber Violin
Products: 4 and 5 string violins
Manufactured in: Cambridge, Ontario
Where to buy: Online
Website: Carbonfiberviolin.com
Canadian owned: Yes
There are violins, then there are these violins, that frankly look amazing. They are made from carbon fiber, with 23 separate parts, each of which can be replaced if damaged. Even the electric pre-amps on these violins are made in Canada by a Canadian company called Schatten.
Name: Gilmore Guitars
Products: Ukes, Guitars – Acoustic and Electric
Manufactured in: Red Deer. Alberta
Where to buy: Red Deer or online
Website: gilmoreguitars.ca
Canadian Owned: Yes
David Gilmore started building guitars in 1995. Under the tutelage of David Freeman he received his education and certificate in Lutherie. Gilmore Guitars opened on a full time basis May 1st, 2011. As David said, “I got to that age where, if I didn’t do it now, I never would.”
Name: Godin
Products: Electric guitars, bass guitars, amplifiers, accessories
Manufactured in: Quebec & New Hampshire, Italy (amps)
Where to buy: Authorized dealers – music stores throughout the world
Website: godinguitars.com
Canadian owned: Yes
Godin manufactures a variety of guitar lines, from entry-level to high-end products. All guitar necks and bodies are made in La Patrie, Quebec, and final assembly is done in their factories in Quebec and New Hampshire. It appears that their line of amplifiers is built in Italy.
Name: Sabian Cymbals
Products: Cat food (no… Cymbals)
Manufactured in: Meductic, New Brunswick
Where to buy: Music stores around the world
Website: sabian.com
Canadian owned: Yes
Known as one of the “big four” of cymbal manufacturing, Sabian was born in 1981 after a dispute between the Zildjian brothers led to Robert forming Sabian in New Brunswick. Sabian cymbals have been used by some of the top drummers in the world, including arguably THE best rock drummer of all time, Rush’s Neal Peart.
Name: Lado Guitars
Products: Electric guitars
Manufactured in: Lindsay, Ontario
Where to buy: Online at their company website
Website: jklado.com
Canadian owned: Yes
Joe Kovacic launched Lado Musical in 1973 and has been building custom guitars ever since. These guitars are not your $150 Costco models, however – expect to pay a real price for real quality. Joe now seems to be semi-retired but plans to keep making guitars for the rest of his life.